About DR Congo
About the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)…
DRC has been rent by ethnic strife and civil unrest for decades. During the Rwandan genocide in 1994, over 2 million refugees fled into eastern DRC from neighbouring Rwanda. Subsequent dismantling of the worlds largest ever refugee camp in Virunga National Park in 1996, led to further colossal population movements across the borders.
Former president, Mobutu Sese Seko was toppled in May 1997 by a rebellion led by Laurent Kabila. Kabila’s regime was soon challenged by a Rwanda- and Uganda- backed rebellion in August 1998. This spawned a largely unreported regional war, involving eight African nations. 1.8m Congolese were displaced and further massive cross-border population movements ensued.
All told, an estimated 3.5 m people died.
Laurent Kabila was assassinated in January 2001, with his son Joseph Kabila named Head of State in August 2001. Joseph Kabila remains president today.
Ongoing rebel militia groups fighting on the ground, concentrated in eastern DRC, continue to hamper much needed reconstruction efforts.
Conservation is about people
All the great apes in DRC live in areas that have been plagued by insecurity for decades. The gorilla’s survival must be seen against a background of violent conflict, human tragedy and economic disintegration.
The remaining mountain gorilla habitat is one of the most densely populated areas in Africa, with an average of 420 people per square kilometre. 91% practise subsistence farming, converting forest into agricultural land. Over 96% rely on firewood, often harvested unsustainably, as their main energy supply.
Natural disaster, however, takes its toll too. In 2002, Mt Niyragongo erupted, destroying large forest areas and a third of the eastern town of Goma.
The Congolese people are strong and resilient. They want to work, put food on the table, the children through school and raise their families in peace. Only by helping to improve livelihoods, encouraging sustainable land use and tackling issues through community initiatives, can the survival of the mountain gorilla be assured, through the benefits of conservation being felt at both a local and national level.
More information can be found under Fact File, and Coltan.
